Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 6, 2008 | GA | SB 404 | Health Insurance Marketplace | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | GA | SB 379 | Automatic Calling Device Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3910 | FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3907 | Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | NM | HB 37 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 23) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Aug. 3, 2007 | National | S 1927 | Foreign Intelligence Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 28) |
| June 20, 2007 | OR | SB 329 | Oregon Health Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| June 18, 2007 | OR | SB 863 | Regulating Automated Phone Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| June 14, 2007 | OR | HB 2637 | Cyberbullying Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| June 4, 2007 | OR | HB 2203 | Expanding Payday and Title Loan Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 596 | Electronic Downloads Tax Creation and Regulation Adjustments for Cigarette Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| April 9, 2007 | WA | HB 1528 | Electronic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| Sept. 7, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4909 | Media in the Middle East Amendment | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1613 | Prohibition on Wireless Phone Use While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| March 1, 2006 | VA | HB 568 | Flat Tax on Communication Services | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| April 29, 2004 | National | S 150 | Internet Access Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3) |
| Sept. 16, 2003 | National | S J Res 17 | FCC Media Ownership bill | Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 40) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| Oct. 8, 1998 | National | S 442 | Internet Tax Freedom bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3266 | Internet Gambling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| July 22, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| Feb. 26, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1646 | Campaign Finance Reform Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 1, 1996 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 5) |
| June 15, 1995 | National | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| March 16, 1994 | National | HR 820 | National Competitiveness Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/06 | SB 404 | Health Insurance Marketplace | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| 2/26 | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 2/19 | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/19 | SB 379 | Automatic Calling Device Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 2/12 | S Amdt 3910 | FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 2/12 | S Amdt 3907 | Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67) |
| 2/12 | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| 2/12 | HB 37 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 23) |
| 8/30 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 8/03 | S 1927 | Foreign Intelligence Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 28) |
| 6/20 | SB 329 | Oregon Health Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 6/18 | SB 863 | Regulating Automated Phone Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 6/14 | HB 2637 | Cyberbullying Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 6/04 | HB 2203 | Expanding Payday and Title Loan Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 4/19 | SF 596 | Electronic Downloads Tax Creation and Regulation Adjustments for Cigarette Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 4/09 | HB 1528 | Electronic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 9/07 | S Amdt 4909 | Media in the Middle East Amendment | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 44) |
| 8/31 | SB 1613 | Prohibition on Wireless Phone Use While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 3/01 | HB 568 | Flat Tax on Communication Services | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 4/29 | S 150 | Internet Access Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3) |
| 9/16 | S J Res 17 | FCC Media Ownership bill | Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 40) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 10/08 | S 442 | Internet Tax Freedom bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2) |
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3266 | Internet Gambling Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (90 - 10) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 2/26 | S Amdt 1646 | Campaign Finance Reform Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 2/01 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 5) |
| 6/15 | S 652 | Telecommunications Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 3/16 | HR 820 | National Competitiveness Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 40) |